Luka Doncic scored 45 points Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125, but his defense drew the most postgame praise. It was the third 40-plus-point game for the NBA’s leading scorer (37.7 PPG) in the past four games.
Doncic recorded eight turnovers, five steals and three charges against Toronto. He also grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds, all on the defensive end. Those defensive marks in one game are the first by any player since player tracking began in 2013-14.
Teammates and coaches weigh in
“Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year, I really took a step forward,” Doncic said. “Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. … But I know, and my team knows, that I’m better this year.”
Lakers center Walker Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired in the offseason to bolster a defense that finished 20th in the league in 2025-26, was impressed. “Five steals and three charges … incredible,” Kessler said. “You know, incredible. Luka doesn’t get enough credit for his defense.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick credited the charges Doncic drew, two against Toronto’s RJ Barrett and one against Scottie Barnes, as a form of leadership. “I think taking a charge in general is just a form of leadership, right? You’re putting your body on the line for the team,” Redick said. “… He’s trying to win. You see the competitiveness come out so many times on the offensive end, but he’s competitive on the defensive end, too.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic agreed. “This year he came back in great shape,” he said. “He looks healthy. When he’s healthy and ready to go, he’s just unstoppable. Tonight, he was outstanding.”
Doncic responds
When a reporter passed along Kessler’s and Redick’s praise during his postgame news conference, Doncic smiled and said, “Finally.”
Doncic said he didn’t know why he has a poor defensive reputation. He acknowledged that he took only a handful of charges in 6½ seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before committing more to the tactic in L.A. “It gets the whole team fired up,” Doncic said. “I just wanted to get better at that. And three charges is not bad for one game.”
Former teammate sees the effort
Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored 11 points off the bench against his former team, pointed to Doncic’s will as the source of his defensive impact. “You can tell he has pride,” Mamukelashvili said. “He has a pride, and he has a hunger. He has a will to not be labeled as that guy who you can just attack.”
On the offensive end, Mamukelashvili said Doncic’s production comes from pure skill. “You need three guys to guard him,” he said. “I have a feeling that every time Luka plays, it’s like 35-plus [points].”